Automobile signal



Fab. 3, 1931. E; z. WMNWRIGHT, JR 1,791,334

AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL Filed May 28; 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ENVENTOR Feb. 3,1931. E. z. WAINWRIGH'II', JR 1,791,334

' AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL Filed May 2a, 1929 2 Sheets-$heet 2 FIE. SZ

INVENTOR Edweg ZWa/nwnght, Ir :0 40% A?- WW his aHIOrneg.

' Patented Feb. '3, 1931.

TENT,

EDWEY Z. WAINWRIGHT, JR., 033 PITTSBURGH, IPENNSYLVANIA no'ronoertnsienna Application filed ma be, less. Serial no. scares.

This invention relates to animprovement in illuminated signals, andparticularly those for use on an automobile to indicate when and inwhich direction the vehicle is to be turned.

Various signal devices have been employed in the past, some of whichhave included the combination of a tail-light, a stop-light anddirectional indices. Tn devices of this kind,

to however, it is desirable that warning indication be given before adirectional index is displayed. That is to say. it is desirable toivenotice several hundredfeet before turnin and it a directional indexis displayed this far awayfrom the turning point, it loses itssignificance, or is disregarded and forgotten by the following drivers.Therefore, an auxiliary warning is desirable prior to the finalindication.

The object of the present invention is to provide a directional signaldevice for auto- "mobiles, which has aux1liary warning lights arrangedto be displayed prior to the operation of the directional signal.

A further object of the inventionis to provide a directional signaldevice having an auxiliary warning light arranged to be displayed priorto the operation of the dire:- tional signal, and to provide meanswhereby to the auxiliary warning light may function as a tail light.

ln the accompanying drawings Fig.1 is a view in front elevation of thesignal device of 'the'present invention; Fig. llll is a view in 3 frontelevation of the bed member of the device showing the front p ate andthe lass members-removed from in front or the 'ight bulbs; Fig. HT is abottom view of the device, to larger scale, and partially in elevaiiotion and partially in section; and Fig. TV is a diagrammatic viewindicating the elec trical wiring scheme. Figs. V and Vllare viewscorresponding to Figs. T and llll re; spectively showing the tail-lightto larger scale and with slightly diherent dimensional proportions; thelight bulbs. however, are not shown in their sockets in Fl. VT.

Referring to the drawing, te numeral 1 desist/es the'bodv member oi thedevice which is preferably termed integrally o scribed.

aluminum. Inset from the front surface 3 of the member are a pluralityof reflector chambers in which the light bulbs 2 are operativelymounted. Chambers l and 5 and their included light bulbs serve toilluminate respectively the lens of the stoplight 6 and tail-light 7.Similarly, the chambers 8 and 9 may in conjunction with their lightbulbs illuminate the auxiliary warning lens 10 and 11, and the lights inchambers 12 and 13 may enlighten the arrow indices 14 and 15.

As may be seen in Fig. TH, a front cover 7 plate 16 serves inconjunction with a backing plate 17 to retain the lens or glass membersin appropriate position before the several light chambers. Ubviouslythese plate members are suitably stenciled for this purpose. The

lower or underwall 30 of the member 1 is discontinued along theedges 31,and grooves bulb in the downwardly open chamber 5 to illuminate thelicense plate. (not shown) which is normally afiixed to the flange 34:of cover 33.. Tt shouldbe noted that the chembers 8 and 9 of the warninglights 10 and ll are also formed to open downwardly, and the importanceof this will presently be de nects the negative terminal at the bulbbehind The elebtrical connections act mereea the arrow 14 to the contact43, and the wire wardly to afford illumination of a license 49 similarlyconnects the bulb behind arrow 15 to the contact 46.

device is attached wishes to make a left turn, he moves the electricallyconductive switchhandle 50 into contact with point 44:. {This should bedone when the car is several hundred feet away from the point ofturning.)

An electrical circuit will obvious be closed through the bulbs of thetwo warning lights 10 and 11, and these li hts will glow to attract theattention of the rivers of the following cars. As the car nears theturning point, the handle 50 is swung into contact with the Y J point43, and the directional index 14 will be displayed, unmistakablyindicating at the proper moment that a left turn is about to be made. Inmaking a right turn the operation of the, handle will be to the right ina man- ;ner similarto that described in making a left ,thrn.

. It is well known that many accidents are caused at night due to thefact that drivers proceed without tail-lights showing on their cars,Often the tail-light fails on the road, andthere areno facilitiesavailable for its immediate repair. To prevent the danger arising fromsuch a contingency, the present invention lends itself. As mentionedabove,

' .the chambers 8 and 9 of the warning iights iii) wil open downwardly,and should for any cause the normal tail-light 7 fail, the switch handlemay be positioned in contact with either of the points 44 or 45. The twolight bulbs 1 within the chambers 8 and 9 may then remairglowing (or oneof them in case the other thereof has failed) to illuminate the licenstplate, andser've generally instead of the cen traltail-light 7.

I claim" as my invention:

1." An automobile signal device comprising an integral body member, saidbody membe'r being formed with a plurality of light reflecting chambers,an electric bulb in each of said chambers, two oppositely pointingdirectional indices arranged one in front of each of two of saidchambers, a tail-light located medially of said indices and arranged infront of another of said chambers, an auxiliary tail lightassociated-with each directional index and each of such auxiliary lightsbeing arranged severally in front of two other of said chambers, andmeans for efiecting the illumination of the bulbs in the chambers to therear of each of said auxiliary tail lights which. means are adapted tocause the illumination of one or the other of said indices only afterthe illumination of its associated auxiliary tail light.

2. The \structure of the next preceding claim, in which each chamber tothe rear of the aum'liary tail li h r to the rear of 5:,

ts as well as the chame tail light ope'downthe pliite, substantially asdescribed.

n When the driver of the car to which my 'hand.

witness whereof, I hereunto set my EDWEY Z. WAINWRIGH'l, JR.

